Middle English Dictionary Entry
belī n.
Entry Info
| Forms | belī n. Also (1) beali, bele, belli, belg(h, beligh; bali, bale; (2) bel(e)we, -ow(e, belu; bilowe. Pl. (1) belīes, -īs, -īce, bellīs, -iges, bellẹ̄s; balīes, balẹ̄z, baylȝes, bealies; bulīes, beolīes; (2) belwes, bellewes, bel(l)owes, belose; bylwes. |
| Etymology | A belg, bælg, WS byl(i)g; pl. belgas, byl(i)gas. In ME, the stem belw- (from the OE pl.) is already restricted to the meaning 'bellows'. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The belly of man or animal, abdomen; ~ and bak, before and behind, all over; (b) the body; (c) ~ blind, blind as the inside of the belly, pitch dark; ~ bond, a band or strap passing under a horse's belly, belly band; ~ naked, stripped to the belly, completely naked.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2267 : Thanne shal this cherl, with baly stif and toght, As any tabour hider been ybroght.
- c1400 Wit & W.(Cmb Res.b.162)B/36 : Allemayn and Angus..with þair bother braide brast' his baly sunder.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)679 : Þe body of þat tre..Es þe brest with þe bely.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)15837 : Into the baly the gode sword sprong.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)451 : Take pykes and undo hom on the bale and wash hom clene.
- (1433) RParl.4.447b : He..toke his knyff and slytte hir bely from the brest doune.
- (c1447) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.29app.241 : He suld..bynde his feete vndre a horse baly.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1247 : Burges with balies [vr. baylȝes] as barels.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)22/18 : Then take wole vnder a blak shepis bely.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)97/24 : Bothe twoo has goode fatt belles and wele fed.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)775/22 : They bounde his leggys undir an olde steedis bealy.
- c1475 St.Patr.Purg.(2) (Brm)p.93 : Vpward there belyys wer cast, And yn to þe erth naylyd fast.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1249 : He was brod and thykke in bale and in bak.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)284/24 : Helle-howndes schull gnawe hom, bak and bely.
b
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)42 : Þu wrecche fole bali [Trin-C: bodi], nu þu list on bere.
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)69 : Li, awariede bali [Trin-C: beli], þer neauer þu ne arise.
- a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Jes-O 29)199 : Hwenne bali me byndeþ..And bryngeþ hine on eorþe.
c
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1326 : The hye god..hadde Adam maked And saugh hym allone, bely naked.
- (1408-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103607 : It. in Carteharnas..47 belybandes et Rygbandes nova.
- (1418) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)9.543 : Rigeboundes, Bellibondes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4125 : Þare fand þai bernys & bridis, & all bale-nakid.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5648 : A charbocle..Þat brynt in belyblind niȝt as briȝt as þe son.
- a1500 Tale Basin (Cmb Ff.5.48)51 : Upstert the wench..all baly naked.
2.
(a) The stomach [esp. as a symbol of gluttony]; ~ joi, the pleasure of eating; a leather bag functioning like a stomach; bagge ~; (b) the uterus, the womb; ~ brother, one who shares his mistress with another; (c) in pl.: ?the instestines.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)137/34 : Hwu he muȝe fillen is unȝesali beli mid swete metes and drenches.
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)482 : Drunken prestis in lustis of þo worlde and of her balyes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.41 : Heor Bagges and heore Balies [vrr. belyes, bely] weren faste Icrommet.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.534 : O wombe, o bely, o stynkyng cod, Fulfilled of donge and of corrupcioun.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)502-3 : Þere was a wycche and made a bagge, A bely of leþyr..She sygaldryd so þys bagge bely, Þat hyt ȝede and soke mennys ky.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)7.118 : I shal cessen of my sowyng..Ne about my belyioye so bisi be namore!
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Rom.16.18 : Þey serfe not to crist oure god, but to þeyre bely [L uentri].
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)22 : Woon of ȝow..maketh ȝowre baly ȝowre good.
- a1450(a1387) PPl.A(2) (RwlPoet 137)12.69 : I haue a gret boyste..of broke bred, þi bely for to fylle.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)315 : Siche ordris hauen heere balyes for heere god.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)106/197 : Then may we go dyne, oure bellys to fyll.
- a1500 Tale Basin (Cmb Ff.5.48)45 : She wolde..when the baly was full, lye downe and wynke.
b
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)56b/a : Riualis: a bely broþer.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)30 : Bely: Venter, alvus, uterus.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)394 : Be-gylid he this gude wyfe..& left hire with child. Sone as hire bele gun bolne, all hire blee changis.
- (1472) Paston (Gairdner)5.156 : My Lady was worthye to have a Lords soon in hyr belye.
c
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1333 : Þen brek þay þe bale, þe balez [?read: bowelez] out token.
3.
(a) A bellows; esp., the bellows used by a smith; fig. anything which increases one's ardor or desire; develes ~; (b) pl., with reference to the two halves or two handles: a bellows for a smithy or an organ; paire (of) belwes; also fig.; (c) ~ bles, the blast or blowing from a bellows; ~ maker, a bellows maker; ~ pipe, the pipe of a bellows; ~ smith, a maker or repairer of bellows.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14)141/28 : He is smið..Þa hameres & þa beliges synden þa costninga.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)77b : Wult tu þet godd nabbe na fur in his smiððe, ne bealies [Nero: belies] ne homeres?
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)472 : Þo i-heorden heo gret blowynge of manie beolies [Hrl: of bulies] þere, And gret betynge.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)171 : E va donk quere le foufou [Cmb: la fue]: the bely [vrr. the baly, the belou].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)507 : Tenailes, enclume, et fow: Tonges, stethie, and bely.
- (1372-4) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2479 : Belowes.
- (1374-5) Leet R.Norwich in Seld.Soc.566 : Videlicet j belewe sine licencia.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.351 : This is to seyn the deueles bely [vrr. belowe, belyous], with which he bloweth in man the fyr of flesshly concupiscence.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)164/15 : A below, whanne he is opened, he takiþ in wijnd, & whanne he is closid, he puttiþ out wijnd & blowiþ þe fier.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Jer.6.29 : The belu [L sufflatorium] failide.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)28b/a : Follis: Þe hole of shynyng of a belwe.
- (1433) *For.Acc.(PRO) 69 N [OD col.] : Unius ferri voc' bellewe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)30 : Belowe [vr. Belew]: Follis.
- c1450 Swarte smekyd (Arun 292)6 : Þe cammede kongons cryen after col..And blowen here bellewys þat al here brayn brestes.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)111 : Bi a baudryk she bar a gret belygh.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.417 : Thou schalle here a maruellous sownde..like to the blawenge of belose.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)6/30 : Þei..couple hem to god..as forto be a bilowe to blowe..þe fier of deuocioun.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)627 : Follis: below.
b
- (1354) Acc.Ironworks in Archaeol.64150 : Duo paria de belyes, precii xiij s. iiij d.
- (1370) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.2953 : In domo fabri, j par de belies.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2597 : Scho blew þe belyse ferly fast, And made þe yren hate at þe last.
- (1390) in Rec.B.Nottingham 1244 : Unum par de belowes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)23a/a : It is I seye in belies of smethes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)334a/a : Organum is..specialliche a proprete of þe instrument þat is y made of many pipes and y blowe wiþ belyes.
- (1399) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81132 : Pro iiij paribus belows organorum.
- (1408-9) Acc.Iron Master in EHR 14520 : Uxori..le bellowes ibidem sufflanti.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)111/308 : Sum of þam blew on sides sere With belows, for it suld brin clere.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)657/16 : Hic culigna: pare belows.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)90/36 : On was a maner of sownde, as it had ben a peyr of belwys blowyng in hir ere.
- (1425) Paston (Gairdner)2.59 (49) : j par de belwes.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)112 : j bleewh with these belyes.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4923 : A gredyle, a peyre tongys, and a peyre belwys.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)14284 : Thys deceyt..Was only by my bylwes wrouht.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)12a : Belowys or belice [Monson: a Bellowe]: follis, folliculus.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)1066 : In to that smythy thei hym cast..With gret balyws at hym thei blew.
c
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)81a : Ant te deouel..mucleð his beali bleas [Nero: beli bles] eauer as hit waxeð.
- (1271) in Fransson Surn.143 : Phil. le Balismit.
- (1275) in Fransson Surn.143 : Le Balismid.
- (1289) in Fransson Surn.127 : Hugo de Denton, le Bellghe makere.
- (1294) in Fransson Surn.127 : Geoffrey le Belgmakere.
- (1300) in Fransson Surn.143 : Joh. Balismyth.
- (1356) in G.Otto Handwerkernamen26 : Belimaker.
- (1377) R.Cov.in Dugd.Soc.1614 : Willelmus Balymaker.
- (1402) Cart.Oseney in OHS 91191 : Joh. Belymaker.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)42/25 : Sho salle noht suffir þe beli pipe be brokin.
- -?-(1358) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9651 : Johannes Bous, belimaker.
- -?-(1374) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9670 : Nich. le yhonge de Flandre, belowmaker.
4.
As personal name.
Associated quotations
- (1166) in Pipe R.Soc.9104 : Willielmus Beli.
- (1179) in Pipe R.Soc.2880 : Willelmus Beli.
- (1260) Close R.Hen.III322 : Robertus Belwe.
- (1287) Leet R.Norwich in Seld.Soc.56 : Walterus Bely.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1033 : Ricardus Bely.
- (1328) Sub.R.Der.in Der.ANHSJ 3065 : Henr. le Belley.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 11/6 : Take and blowe þe skyn with þy mouþe or ells with a bely pipe vntil hit be blowen ful of wynde in manere of a bladder or of a bagpipe.
Note: Additional quote, sense 3.(c), 'beli pipe, the pipe of a bellows'.
- a1500 Trin-C.R.14.45 Recipes (Trin-C R.14.45) 123/7 : Ley gode fire al aboute, above, and on yche side, and þanne take a peyre belweys and euermore blowe fast until hit be al moltyn.
Note: Additional quote, sense 3.(b), new spelling.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. belly.